The Industrial Revolution is one of the most significant periods in human history that drastically impacted society and future development. There was a massive shift from the agrarian approach to the technological method of production, which transformed the common perception of work and people’s lifestyles in general. Factories moved from the manual to the machine, the processes became automized, and businesses could produce more goods in less time. However, the changes influenced not only the manufacturing processes but the social structure and the cultural aspect of human lives as well. Specifically, religious classes underwent certain reformations, with both negative and positive implications. Therefore, this paper aims to analyze different reactions of the Christian society to the Industrial revolution and define which is the most consistent with Biblical Scripture.
Although religion throughout history has always struggled with accepting the constantly appearing technologies and modern ways of development, it contributed to the spread of the ideas at the beginning of the capitalistic rise. During the Reformation period, the main parties’ leaders, such as religious and aristocratic, were trying to promote the thought that the working class had a more significant number of representatives in the new governmental structure. Christianity accepted the innovations and supported the concept of the new development vector since everything that is happening and appearing in this world is a gift from the Holy. This resonates with the idea of Christianity that everyone is equal in the face of God, and by pushing this suggestion, Christianity most likely tried to reduce inequality and erase the line between classes in the social hierarchy.
However, not everywhere in Europe was the church solidary with the upcoming changes and drastically evolving science. For instance, France experienced a contradiction between the followers of the technological implementation into the society’s everyday life and the religious resistance against the growth of the scientific influence in the country. Catholics were rather traditional and conservative, and they denied the advantages and privileges that technological progress would bring to the population. Significantly, the church was against implementing the more scientific approach to school studies and education in general. The church wanted to maintain the religious teaching method and focus more on the spiritual side, making it the central concept. However, the government realizing the potential and usefulness that the technology can bring to the population, continues to promote innovative ideas and spread the knowledge among the society. While the resolution included all countries and became the general rule for the educational institutions, churches continue to emphasize religious studies among the local communities. Eventually, catholic representatives seemed to view the rise of capitalism as the distancing from the spiritual world and values to a more materialistic and rational approach, which contradicted the concepts of the Biblical Scripture.
Overall, the Industrial Revolution stimulated numerous inevitable shifts in the world and the way society functions. Those changes affected every sphere, from the work and production methods to rebuilding the social structure and the confusion in the religious communities. There were generally two most widespread opinions from the church on capitalism, and the first response is more consistent with the Biblical Scripture than the second. The first one viewed this as a gift from God and the ability for people to reach prosperity, remain equal, and erase the drastic differences between classes. The second approach considered progress an enemy and refused to accept the changes even if they could benefit society. Although catholic representatives could be afraid of the potential harm to the morals and values of the population, their intentions seemed rather egoistic because it was more about remaining in the power of the church.